Joe Walsh won’t attend GOP convention

"I came to Washington to serve the people of my district and reclaim our country from the growth of government. Rather than mingle with Party insiders in Tampa, I will be in the 8th district to continue to serve as an independent voice for the people."

So far, the majority of officeholders announcing their intention to skip the national party convention have been on the Democratic side – and their decisions have typically signaled attempts to create some distance from a polarizing president who is out of favor in their House districts or states.

But as Walsh’s decision shows, it’s not just Democrats who are bypassing their convention. A handful of GOP candidates in some of the most competitive Senate races in the nation have also said they’ll skip the Tampa confab – among them, Virginia’s George Allen, New Mexico’s Heather Wilson, Hawaii’s Linda Lingle and Montana’s Denny Rehberg.

Like Walsh, those candidates are also engaged in a tough races, a sign that competitive candidates in both parties sense the dangers of being too closely affiliated with their national parties at a time when voters are expressing deep frustration with Washington.